News Chemistry Old books can have unsafe levels of chromium, but readers’ risk is low Some Victorian-era tomes coated in vibrant yellow pigments exceed exposure limits for the heavy metal The yellow pigment coating this book contains lead and chromium compounds. Kristi Jones/Lipscomb University By Skyler Ware August 18, 2024 at 5:00 am Share this:Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Old books can be beautiful to look at. But handle with care — they just might be toxic. The covers of Victorian-era books are already known to sometimes have pigments that contain toxic heavy metals such as lead, chromium and arsenic.
